Combined oarlock and well bracket



E. SCPRESTON 2,484,958

OCt.--18,-- 1949.

COMBINED OARLOCK AND WELL BRACKET Filed May 7, 1946 MZCtLifiS 070.

Patented Oct. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a combined oarlock and well bracket, having for an object to provide a device of the stated character by means of which the oarlock will be securely supported with relation to the gunwale of an equipped boat and will be freely rotatable through a horizontal or substantially horizontal plane or through a plane at right angles to its longitudinal axis to permit efficient rowing motion of a received and supported oar, and when desired, may be conveniently moved from an operative to an inoperative position alongside the boat gunwale in order that the car may be placed within the boat in proximity to and generally longitudinally of the near side thereof, hence, preventing undesired displacement of the car from the boat and its possible loss. I

It is also an object of the invention to provide a well bracket for an oarlock so designed and constructed as to freely rotate or turn with rowing motion of an oar received by the supported oarlock.

Yet another object of the invention is'to provide a device of the character above generally stated, capable of being readily attached to the gunwale or similar portion of a rowboat and of easy and quick assembly (operative interrelationing of the bracket and the oarlock) for use.

The invention also aims to provide a combined oarlock and well bracket of simple, rugged and economical construction, capable of being produced at a comparative minimum cost and of aifording its user dependable, satisfactory and advantageous performance.

The foregoing, as well as other objects, advantages and meritorious teachings of my invention, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following detailed disclosure thereof, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it being understood that the form of the invention presented herein is a precise and what is now considered to be the best mode of embodying its principles, but that modifications and changes may be made in specific embodiment without departing from its essential features.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved combined oarlock and well bracket, ShOWing the same attached to the inner side of a rowboat gunwale and with the received and supported oar shown in transverse cross-section.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section through a portion of a rowboat and one of its gunwales and the Well bracket of the invention, the oarlook being shown, in full lines, in operative position with a portion of an oar attached thereto, and in dotted line positions in an inoperative position within and adjacent the near or supporting boat gunwale, and

Figure 3 is a top View of the improved combined oarlock and well bracket, illustrating the manner in which it is arranged and attached to an appropriate portion of a rowboat, with a portion of a received and supported oar shown in dotted lines.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the reference letter A indicates a portion of one of the gunwales of a rowboat, to which the oarlock well bracket is attached or connected. Said bracket comprises an elongated body I. made of metal or other suitable material, formed with a longitudinal way extending completely therethrough, to be presently more fully described. Relatively opposed and flat bracket attaching wings 2 or like devices are fixed to or integral with the normally outer side and upper portion of the body I and have appropriate openings formed therein whereby to receive bolts 3, or their equivalents, in order that the well bracket may be securely connected to an inner side portion of the boat gunwale A, as shown in the figures of the accompanying drawings; suitable locking nuts 3' being turned into engagement with the screwthreaded extremities of said bolts, for an obvious purpose. Thus, it will be understood that the well bracket will be fixedly or rigidly connected to a portion of the inner face side of the boat gunwale A in a substantially vertical plane.

A cup-like well t is formed in and opens onto the upper end portion of the bracket body l. Its lower portion opens into the longitudinal bracket body way, the portion 5 of the latter is-of less cross-sectional area or width than its lower portion 6, as well shown in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings. The normally outer side of the well bracket body l has a longitudinally disposed slot 1 formed therein communicating, throughout its length, with the portions 5 and 6 of the body Way and with the well It therein. The width of this slot 1, as shown in Figure l of the drawings, is less than that of the lower portion 6 of the body provided way, but substantially the same as that of the upper portion 5 thereof, for a purpose which will be subsequently apparent.

An oarlock, consisting of the usual bifurcated body 8, is adapted to be received and rotatably supported by the well bracket. The under or normally lower side of said oarlock is, formed or otherwise provided with a bottom rounded bearing element 9, whose diameter is such as to permit of its snug though readily movable or rotatable engagement in the cup-like well 4 formed in the upper end of the wall bracket body I, above described. A cylindrical shank I is fixedly connected to the lower portion of the bottomrounded bearing element 9, and as shown in the drawings, extends longitudinally therefrom. The length of said cylindrical shank l0, it will 'be noted, is less than that of the bracketbody i. In consequence, when the shank is received within the longitudinal way of the bracket body I, its lower end will be upwardly-spaced from theicorresponding end of said body. It is also of moment to here note that the diameter of the cylindrical shank it is such that it may be moved through and inwardly or outwardly of the longitudinal slot 1, in the manner indicated by the dotted line showing in Figure 2 of the drawing. To prevent complete outward displacement of the cylindrical shank It] from the longitudinal way of the bracket body l, a preferably spherically shaped head or element ll is fixedly secured to the lower and free end thereof. The diameter of the spherical element ll, it will be seen onreference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, is materially greater than the width of the longitudinal slot 7 in the outer side of the well bracket body 1. Moreover, the size of this element is such that whereas it can have free turning, sliding and/or other movement within the enlarged lower portion of the body way, it cannot engage in or move into the reduced upper portion 5 of said way. However, the length of the cylindrical shank I8 is such that it may he slid vertically through the way 56 of the well body bracket, in order that the bottomrounded bearing element 9 on the lower side of the oarlock 8 may, at times, be displaced from the body provided well i.

To prevent downward vertical displacement of thespherical element H and its carrying shank .IO from the well bracket body I, I may and preferably do engage a cross-pin 12, or the like wise formed, as at E5, to prevent displacement.

In usage of my improved combined oarlock and well bracket, and assuming that the bracket body, hereinbefore described, has been connected or secured to a portion of the inner side or a boat gunwale, such as indicated by the letter A; also, that the cylindrical shank H], with its enlarged spherical head or element 11, is engaged within the longitudinal way .of the well bracket body, to place the oar it in operative-or usable position for rowing, it is grasped and moved upwardly and outwardly with respect to the adjacent gunwale A. By such movement, it will be seen that the shank ID will be drawn upwardly in the well bracket body l until the-enlarged spherical element 1-! abuttingly engages with the inner end of the enlarged portion B'oi thelongitudinal body way.

Concurrently, the upper portion of the cylindrical shank I0 is moved within the longitudinal way of the well bracket body through the adjacent portion of the communicating longitudinal slot 1. When the proper vertical positioning of the shank l0 and oarlock 8 have thus been effected, the oar I3 is lowered alon with the oarlock 8. By such lowering movement, the bottom-rounded bearing element 9 on the lower side of the oarlock 8, will be engaged into or within the cup-like well 4 in the normally upper end of the well bracket l which, as will be recalled, communicates at its bottom with the reduced portion 5 of the :longitudinal way of the bracket I. With engagement of the bearing element 9 in the well '4, it will be seen that lateral displacement of the oarlock 8 with relation to the well bracket body I will be prevented, particularly, since the diameter of the bearing element 9 is materially greater than the width of the adjacent portion-of the longitudinal slot 3 formed in the normally outer side of 'the well bracket body l. Rowing motion may be now transmitted to the car 33 without causing lateral displacement or disengagement of the rotatable oarlock 8 from the well bracket body I. In addition, it will be understood and appreciated that the oarlock 8 will be-provided anefiectual rotatable support in order that it may .be turned through .a horizontal plane 'or a plane at substantially right angles to thelongitudinalaxisof the oarlock 8 and its shank I 9.

When the oar i3 is not in use, it'mlay be moved to a position within and substantiallylongitudinally of an equipped rowboat, merely by grasping it and pulling the same, together with the attached oarlock S, upwardly with relation to the well bracket body I. The extent of such upward movement will be limited by abutting engagement with the enlarged spherical head H with the upper end of the enlarged portion 6 of the body provided longitudinal way. With up-, ward movement of the oarlock .8, andin consequence, its cylindrical shank It, the oar, along with the oarlock 8 and cylindrical shank IlL-may be then swung outwardly and downwardly .to that position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings; the bottomrounded bearingielement t being'thus disengaged from the cup-like well i and the cylindrical shank Ii) being swung or moved outwardly through an adjacent portion of the longitudinal slot 1 in the well bracket body I.

While I have hereinbeiore described a single combined oarlock and well bracket, 'it will be understood, of course, that a-pair or more of such devices will be and are normally used, suchas conditions or preference may dictate.

I claim:

1. A combination oarlock and well bracket, comprising a substantially straight bracketbody formed with transversely curved side and front walls and a fiat and soiid rear Wall, said curved and flat walls extending throughout the'length of the bracket body, substantially co-planarLfiat attaching wings integral with the opposite .and curved side walls of the bracket body and contiguous with and parallel to itsflat rear .wall, said bracket body having a way formed in and extending longitudinally therethroug-hout opening onto its opposite ends and a slot formed in and extending longitudinally-.throughout itsiront wall .communicatingwith said way, an oarlock, ,a shank of cross-sectionalsizellessthan/the width of the bracket slot extending from the bottom of said oarlock rotatably and slidably received in the way of the bracket body and having a portion thereof rotatably and removably seated in the upper end of said way, and a pin engaged in and across the lower and open end of the bracket way below the adjacent end of said shank.

2. A combination oarlock and well bracket, comprising a substantially straight bracket body formed with transversely curved side and front walls and a flat and solid rear wall, said curved and fiat walls extending throughout the length of the bracket body, substantially co-planar flat attaching wings integral with the opposite and curved side walls of the bracket body and contiguous with and parallel to its fiat rear wall, said bracket body having a way formed in and extending longitudinally therethroughout and opening onto its opposite ends and a slot formed in and extending longitudinally throughout its front wall communicating with said way, the lower portion of the way being of greater crosssectional area than its intermediate portion and the upper portion thereof being of greater crosssectional area than its said intermediate portion and having the bottom of the same curved, an oarlock, a bottom curved bearing element on the normally lower side of the oarlock removably receivable and rotatable in the enlarged upper portion of said bracket way, a shank of less crosssectional area than the bearing element connected to and extending longitudinally from and beyond its bottom, the cross-sectional size of the shank being less than that of the bracket body front wall slot and the intermediate portion of the bracket body way and being movably received in the latter, an enlargement on the normally lower end of said shank of a size greater than the cross-sectional area of the intermediate portion of the bracket body way movable in and through said lower portion of the way, and a pin engaged in and across the lower and open end of the bracket body way below said enlargement.

ERLAND S. PRESTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 204,159 Mayo May 28, 1878 1,497,162 Richardson June 10, 1924 2,349,692 Anderson May 23, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,704 Great Britain 1882 

